Stand Up 2 Cancer Rallies Stars To Cure Disease

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Friday night Hollywood turned out for the groundbreaking webcast and telethon Stand Up 2 Cancer. The star-studded event included amazing performances, celebrity guest stars and inspiring cancer survivors. We had a reporter on the ground capturing highlights of the night.

Cancer is a serious illness. One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime. Stand Up 2 Cancer is an organization that raises money for cutting edge cancer research. It helps millions of people each year cope and combat cancer. Patients often beat insurmountable odds to survive their devastating illness. Like I said, it’s very serious. That’s why I feel bad that my night at the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon was so much fun!

The evening started with an opening reception and cocktails. After a couple of hours of mingling (read: stalking) “Dexter’s” Michael C. Hall and “The Kid’s In The Hall” star Scott Thompson, I took my seat in the studio. There were stars everywhere. Cancer survivors Fran Drescher, Christina Applegate and Maura Tierney were on hand. Mark Harmon, Seth Rogen (swoon) and Elizabeth Banks plus a host of their famous friends manned the massive phone bank.

Katie Couric, Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer opened the historic night. They explained the purpose of the event, detailed startling statistics on cancer rates and introduced the 46 Mommas. The 46 Mommas are a group of mothers who shaved their heads in solidarity with their children battling cancer. These women raise awareness about cancer and money for Stand Up 2 Cancer. They were amazing.

The evening ended with musical performances from [lastfm]Neil Diamond[/lastfm], [lastfm]Kris Kristofferson[/lastfm], [lastfm]Leona Lewis[/lastfm], [lastfm]Natasha Bedingfield[/lastfm], [lastfm]Aaron Neville[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Martina McBride[/lastfm]. During her number, [lastfm]Orianthi[/lastfm] blew the crowd away with an amazing guitar solo and even played with Heart during their show stopping performance of “Barracuda.” The band is still spectacular. Be sure to catch their performance on demand.

The event ended with a lovely reception, and I ultimately made my way home. As I pulled out of the parking garage, Kyra Sedgwick accidentally tripped in front of my car. While the show was absolutely spectacular, receiving a wave from the iconic actress was worth my donation.

I have one word to the wise. Smokers are not welcome. Seriously, people give you dirty look… even if you’re wearing an awesome Stand Up 2 Cancer T-shirt and blogging the event. Those 46 Mommas mean business.

Thanks to our friends in New York for creating an amazing gallery of the night!